This application claims the priority of German Application No. 197 25 916.2, filed Jun. 19, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a computer-assisted diagnostic device for electronically controlled systems, particularly for electronically controlled systems in a motor vehicle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a diagnostic process for electronically controlled systems which can be carried out by means of a computer.
The increasing complexity of the electronically controlled systems in a motor vehicle requires diagnostic devices which can read out the data of these systems specific for each vehicle type and can transmit them to the equipment available for repair purposes.
In the case of the currently used diagnostic processes, the vehicle type, the series and the respective variant are determined first. Then the diagnostic apparatus, which is appropriate for the vehicle type, with the display device and the keyboard is connected to the diagnostic socket. By way of the diagnostic socket, the status of the electronically controlled system can be queried and can be read out by way of the diagnostic apparatus.
A diagnostic system for a motor vehicle having a portable diagnostic apparatus is known, for example, from German Patent Document DE 195 41 816 A1. The portable diagnostic apparatus is connected by way of an adapter with a control unit installed in the motor vehicle for the diagnosis. In the lower part of the diagnostic apparatus, a memory cassette is inserted on which the design data of a certain motor vehicle type and the diagnostic program are stored for the respective electronic system which is to be examined.
Although such a portable diagnostic apparatus is flexible with respect to its use in many different motor vehicle types and diagnostic objects, the memory cassettes require regular maintenance and exchange in the case of frequently changing vehicle design data and changes in the electronic systems to be diagnosed. Therefore, a large number of such memory cassettes with vehicle-specific data must be kept in repair shops and the stock must constantly be supplemented.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a computer-assisted diagnostic device as well as a diagnostic process for electronically controlled systems in order to considerably reduce the establishment and maintenance expenditures for the diagnostic hardware and software without having to change the already existing electronically controlled systems.
This object is achieved by a computer-assisted diagnostic system for electronically controlled systems arranged within an overall system, particularly for electronically controlled systems in a motor vehicle. The diagnostic system contains: (1) a computer of a first type which exists outside the overall system and which contains an expandable diagnostics program and, in addition, contains data of a first type, the data of the first type essentially comprising the diagnosis-relevant data of the electronically controlled systems; (2) one or several computers of a second type available at any location which contain dynamically loadable libraries for expanding the diagnostics program, the diagnostics program expanded by the dynamically loadable libraries being capable of accessing the electronically controlled systems; and (3) devices for permitting an interaction (interface) between a computer of the second type and the electronically controlled systems of an overall system, the computer of the first type and the computers of the second type being capable of exchanging data and programs with one another by way of networks based on Internet technology. The computer of the first type is precisely a server set up at a central point, and the data, in addition, comprise the data and diagnostic results generated by the intervention of the expanded diagnostics program in the electronically controlled systems. A diagnostic process for achieving the object includes the acts of (1) loading a diagnostics program filed in a computer of the first type and loading of data of the first type, which essentially comprise the diagnosis-relevant data of the electronically controlled systems in one or several computers of the second type available at one or several arbitrary locations, the diagnostics program being transmitted by way of a network based on Internet technology from the computer of the first type to the computer or computers of the second type; (2) expanding the loaded diagnostics program by directly loadable libraries filed in each computer of the second type; and (3) implementing the expanded diagnostics program, the expanding diagnostics program intervening by way of devices for permitting an interaction between a computer of the second type and the electronically controlled systems of an overall system into the electronically controlled systems. In the process, the computer of the first type is precisely a server set up at a central point, and the data of the first type, in addition, comprises the data and diagnostic results generated by the intervention of the expanded diagnostic program in the electronically controlled systems.
The computers of a second type pertaining to the diagnostic device can exchange data and programs with the computer of a first type by way of networks based on Internet technology. The frequently changed and adapted diagnostics programs must only be filed in the computer of the first type. This considerably reduces the establishment and maintenance expenditures for the diagnostics programs and completely eliminates the program distribution expenditures. The computers of the second type can request the current diagnostics program from the computer of the first type at any time and the updated diagnostics program can be retrieved by way of a network based on Internet technology from the computer of the first type into the computer of the second type.
Dynamically loadable libraries are filed in the computers of the second type. The diagnostics program loaded into a computer of the second type is expanded by these libraries and is therefore enabled to intervene in the electronically controlled systems if devices exist for permitting an interaction or interface between the computer of the second type and the electronically controlled systems of an overall system. The dynamically loadable libraries expand the diagnostics program such that it can intervene directly in the electronically controlled systems to be examined without the requirement of making changes in these systems, either on their hardware or on their software configuration.
Therefore, the diagnostic device with an application-specific diagnostics program which can be expanded by suitable dynamically loadable libraries can easily be used for any already existing, electronically controlled systems which are arranged within an overall system without the requirement of making any changes on the electronically controlled systems themselves.
Additional advantageous developments and further developments of the diagnostic device according to the invention and of the diagnostic process according to the invention are described herein.
It is particularly advantageous to store the diagnosis-relevant data of the electronically controlled systems in the computer of the first type set up at a central point because, in the case of changes in the system configuration, this requires only an updating of the data in the first computer and, in addition, saves a considerable amount of storage space in the computers of the second type.
It is also very advantageous for the diagnostics program expanded by the directly loadable libraries to transfer the data and diagnostics results generated by the intervention in the electronically controlled systems to the computer of the first type and for these data and results to be stored there. This eliminates the manual input of the data and results, and the current results obtained during a diagnosis are immediately available on the computer of the first type for other users of the diagnostic device.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.